Fall of the Guard
by Vampiric Ant
Summary: The full story of the Castle Guard's heroic but ultimately failed revolt. Bonus chapter added!
1. The Plan

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to _The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance_.

* * *

**Fall of the Guard**

**Chapter 1 - The Plan**

* * *

"They're waiting for you in the armory, Gamin."

The silver-haired Gelfling guard nodded his head. "How many?"

"All of them," replied the dark-haired female Drenchen.

Gamin blinked a couple of times. "All of them?"

"That's what I said. _All_ of them. Well, except for Keeg, Ong, Din, Steren, Fina, and Fier." She cocked her head. "Strange, isn't it? The only Gelfling who aren't here are the ones from your section."

"And what does that tell you, Isa?"

Isa smirked. "That you've already told them your plan. Either that or you're a lousy section leader."

Gamin couldn't help but chuckle. "You'll find out soon which one it is." He started to reach for the armory's door, but paused. "You know, I'm still not sure how exactly _I_ ended up in charge of this... thing we're planning to do."

Isa scoffed. "You don't know? Please. _You're_ the one who came up with the plan."

"Only because no one else had one." He shrugged. "At least I won't be doing this alone."

"You _might_ be, if you keep everyone in the armory waiting," Isa quipped.

After sharing a quick laugh, Gamin and Isa entered the armory, where, as Isa had stated, over forty Gelfling - virtually the entire Castle Guard - were waiting for them.

"About time," said one guard, looking up from cleaning his sword. "I was starting to worry that you'd changed your mind about all of this."

Gamin clasped a hand on the guard's shoulder. "Malik, my friend, I thought you knew me better than that."

"Ha! And I thought I knew _myself_. Then today I decided to turn against everything I ever believed in."

Gamin nodded. "I think we're all going to be doing plenty of self-reflection when this is over."

"Assuming we're still here when it's over," Malik deadpanned.

"Why the doubts, Malik?" asked Gamin, raising his eyebrows slightly. "Weren't _you_ the one who announced we were taking this Castle _'this very night'_?"

"In my defense, that was more of a spur-of-the-moment suggestion."

Gamin gazed around the armory. "A very _popular_ suggestion from the looks of it," he remarked, offering Malik a wryly smile.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. "Pardon me, Section Leader. But may I have a word with you?"

Gamin turned around. His smile faltered when he saw who it was. "You should go, Paladin," he urged, his tone now sober. "You've already risked your life coming here to warn us of the Skeksis' treachery. There's no need for you to get involved in this."

The red-haired Paladin was having none of it. "I think I'm entitled to a little payback," he asserted, his hand gripped tightly on the handle of his sword, clearly yearning to unsheathe it. "The All-Maudra was my charge. I swore I would die in defense of her if need be. But in the end, it was _she_ who died trying to protect _me_. I owe it to her memory to see that the Emperor and his lackeys are brought to justice."

Despite his misgivings, Gamin nodded. "I understand, Arric. Thank you. Now, what is it you want to talk about it?"

"Earlier today, Princess Tavra, the All-Maudra's second-born, entered the Castle and helped free your Drenchen comrade," Arric explained. "But she didn't leave with him. Her companions told me they last saw her following the Emperor into the catacombs beneath the Castle. Have you seen or heard anything of her?"

Startled by the Paladin's latest revelation, Gamin shook his head. "I didn't even know she was here. I'm sorry, Arric, but I don't have any information."

"Then I have another reason for staying with you," Arric stated. "I cannot leave here while there's a chance the princess is alive." He lowered his head, solemnly adding, "Not after what happened to her mother."

Again, Gamin nodded. "Of course. Thra willing, we will find her, alive and safe."

He turned to address his fellow guards. "All right, let's get this started. First of all, thank you for coming." He paused, not certain of what to say next. His Stonewood training had taught him plenty about being a warrior, but sadly, nothing about giving speeches.

A couple moments of awkward silence passed before he found his voice again. "I confess I'm surprised to see that _everyone_ showed up. I don't know if I should be proud or disappointed by your eagerness to commit treason."

There was some scattered laughter from the audience, but other than that everyone just stood there, waiting for him to continue.

He took a deep breath and sighed before continuing. "I think, though, that from the day we lost Mira, we all knew, deep in our hearts, that we were not being told the truth about her death. At first, we told each other - and ourselves - to ignore those feelings. It was... easier to believe the lies we were being told rather than face the truth. But now the truth stares us in the face. And it's more terrible than any of us could have imagined. All we can do now is act."

Out of the corner of his eye, Gamin spotted acting-Captain Tolyn standing alone, silent, arms folded across his chest, his expression completely unreadable.

"Now then," he said, turning his attention back to the rest of the Guard, "I've already gone over my plan with the Gelfling in my section. They're on Watch right now, maintaining the pretense that everything is normal. I've also told them that if anything goes wrong tonight, that they should head for Stone-In-The-Wood immediately."

He paused, wondering if he'd been selfish to choose his own Gelfling as the ones who'd be spared the consequences of any failure on his part.

Pushing that thought aside, he continued. "As for the rest of us, this is the plan: The Lords-" he quickly corrected himself "-the _Skeksis_ will be feasting in a few hours. They'll have soon stuffed and drunk themselves to the brim. That's when we'll storm the throne room and take them by surprise."

The Gelfling in attendance began voicing their approval.

"We'll have them completely outnumbered," a grizzled Drenchen remarked.

"They'll be in no condition to fight," added a bald Spriton.

"I can't wait to give those foul lizards a taste of my blade," a dirty-blonde female Vapran said eagerly.

Isa raised her hand. "How will we know exactly when the Skeksis are most vulnerable?" she asked. "Guards are never allowed in the throne room during the feasts. If the Skeksis catch us spying on them while they eat, they'll know we're up to something."

"She's right. The only ones allowed in the throne room during the feasts are the Podlings," Malik pointed out.

"I know. Which is exactly why we'll be watching the Podlings," replied Gamin. "We'll wait for them to send out the Ulcola beetles."

"Ulcola beetles?" questioned one of the newer guards. "What's so special about them?"

"The Skeksis like to eat them at the end of their feasts," Gamin explained. "They act as a stool softener."

"I don't think I needed to know that _last_ part," muttered Arric.

"Malik and Isa will watch the kitchens," Gamin continued. "A few of us will patrol the corridors. Like those on Watch right now, they'll be maintaining a pretense of normalcy. The rest of us will wait here in the armory. As soon as the Podlings bring out the Ulcola beetles, we'll make our move."

"What about the Chamberlain?" asked Malik. "Him and the other Skeksis who aren't here right now?"

"We'll worry about them later. Right now, our priority is to seize this Castle." Gamin gazed around the armory. "Are there any more questions?"

When no one said a thing, he turned to Tolyn. "Is there anything you'd like to say, Tolyn?"

Tolyn bristled. "Me?"

"You haven't said a word this entire time."

"I was under the impression _you_ were in charge here," Tolyn replied stiffly.

"Technically, you're still acting-Captain. I thought you might have something to say."

Tolyn shrugged. "What is there left to say, Gamin? Like you said, all we can do now is act."

Gamin nodded. "Well spoken." He turned back to the other guards. "This is... not a situation any of us wished to find ourselves in," he said solemnly. "All our lives we have served the Skeksis faithfully. I'm sure some of you still have doubts and misgivings. I admit, I have many questions myself. But we've all heard Arric's tale. Our comrade Mira was murdered at the hands of the Skeksis. Our friend Rian was then falsely accused of her death. When the Captain tried to protect his son, as any father would, the Skeksis killed him, too. And now the All-Maudra is dead. Murdered in cold blood because she refused to betray her people. We also know the Skeksis plan to drain more of our kind for their essence. Just like they drained Mira. We cannot deny the truth any longer. The Skeksis have betrayed us. They have betrayed the Crystal. Betrayed Thra. We are left with no choice but to remove them from power."

The Gelfling in the armory responded with nods and utterances of agreement.

"What will we do with the Skeksis once we've captured them?" asked Malik.

"We should show them the same mercy they showed Mira, the Captain, and the All-Maudra," growled Isa. "None."

"_No_," said Gamin sharply. "We may no longer serve the Skeksis, but we still serve Thra and the Crystal. And we are not murderers. The Skeksis will be imprisoned. They will be made to answer for their crimes, but it is not us who will decide their fate. _Thra_ will decide."

He sighed again. _Time's growing short._ _Better wrap this up now_, he thought.

"Night will soon fall upon the Castle. Thra willing, when the First Brother rises tomorrow, it will be a new day for all of us." He pulled out his sword and thrust it high above his head. "For Thra, my brothers and sisters! For Thra!"

_"For Thra!" _Every guard thrust their weapon into the air...

...except for Tolyn, who, unnoticed by Gamin and the others, had quietly slipped out of the armory.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	2. Treason

**Chapter 2 - Treason**

* * *

"A simple task. That's what I gave you. _A simple task_. Fetch seven volunteers from Ha'rar. Seven Gelfling for the Scientist to harvest essence from. And yet, you two nincompoops return to me empty-handed, save for tales of being attacked by some strange stone creature and of Rian escaping from right under your noses!"

Feeling his throat start to dry, the Emperor paused his tirade to drain the last of the wine from his goblet. He exhaled and leaned back against his throne.

"And now," he continued furiously, "you're telling me that the All-Maudra is dead?! That you slew her _without my permission_?!"

"I beg your forgiveness, Emperor. But _I_ had the situation under control," the Ritual Master insisted. "That is until the General lost his temper and killed the All-Maudra."

"You had _nothing_ under control," the General retorted. "You stood there impotently while that harridan openly defied us. I dealt with the situation _perfectly_. A potential rebellion has been put down, and a new All-Maudra has been installed. One who is eager to please her Lords."

"And just how effective do you think the new All-Maudra will be once the truth about us spreads to every corner of Thra?" the Ritual Master shot back. "By now, Rian will have dreamfasted with every Gelfling he rescued today. Or shall I say every Gelfling you _let_ him rescue?"

"I would have _crushed_ that Stonewood brat!" the General roared. "If it hadn't been for that-that _thing_ \- whatever it was."

"_'Would have'_ doesn't count for much, skekVar."

"I don't recall seeing _you_ do anything, skekZok. Except _tremble_ in terror."

"_**ENOUGH**_!" screamed the Emperor. He hurled his empty goblet at his two bickering lieutenants, forcing them to duck. He then stood up and stalked over to the pair.

"I should make you subject _yourself_ to one of your own punishments," he hissed, glaring at the Ritual Master, who cringed.

Nearby, the Scroll-Keeper, the Ornamentalist, the Collector, and the Gourmand eagerly watched in anticipation.

"I told you this would be entertaining," skekEkt whispered to the skekOk, who snickered loudly.

"And as for you, General..." the Emperor growled, turning to skekVar, "I thought you would be at least _slightly_ more effective than the Chamberlain."

"I beg your forgiveness, sire," the General began. "But if you would allow me to explain-"

"_Explain_, _explain_, _explain_," the Emperor mimicked savagely. "You're beginning to sound exactly like skekSil!"

The Collector giggled. "Ooohhh he's getting real mad now!"

"What fun!" the Gourmand croaked.

The Emperor suddenly whirled on them. "Is there anything useful either of you two have to say?"

skekAyuk shrank back. "Eh... No, sire."

skekLach shook her head. "No, sire."

_"Then shut your beaks!"_

skekSo turned back around to continue admonishing skekVar and skekZok, when without warning, a searing pain erupted from his chest. His vision blurred. The throne room began to spin. His hands trembled uncontrollably. His lungs felt like they were made of stone.

"No... _no_," he rasped through labored breaths. "Not _now_..."

"Emperor, are you all right?" asked the General. Though skekVar stood mere feet away, skekSo could barely hear him.

"I'm _fine,_" the Emperor grunted. "I just need to... to sit."

skekSo turned and began stumbling towards his throne, one hand clutching at his aching chest, the other hand using his scepter as a crutch. He only made it halfway before the pain overwhelmed him. The scepter fell from his hand. A second later, he collapsed onto his hands and knees.

A collective gasp arose from the other Skeksis.

"_Emperor_!" the Ritual Master cried out.

"What is happening?!" shrieked the Ornamentalist.

The General rushed to the Emperor's side. "Quick!" he barked. "Someone fetch the Scientist!"

"No!" skekSo grated. "_No_!" With tremendous effort and determination, he pulled himself off the floor and back on his feet.

skekVar placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sire, if you would allow me-"

"I do not require your assistance!" the Emperor snapped hoarsely, pushing the General's hand off. Ignoring the agonizing protests of his ailing body, he lurched the rest of the way to his throne, whereupon he all but collapsed in it. As he sat there, wheezing and gasping, he felt the pain in his chest slowly subside.

The other Skeksis just stood, watching and waiting, none daring to speak.

The Emperor suddenly became aware he lacked something important. "My scepter... _Where is my scepter_?!"

The Scroll-Keeper cleared his throat nervously. "Uh, I have it here, sire. You, _ahem_, dropped it."

"Well, don't just stand there! _Give it to me_!"

The Scroll-Keeper hastily shuffled up to the Emperor and placed the scepter back in its rightful owner's hand. "Forgive my inaction, sire," he said, bowing his head, before retreating to his original spot.

"Bah!" scowled the Emperor. He rapped the scepter on his lap. Today was turning out to be an outright awful day. He'd spent countless hours underground trying to hunt down the spy who'd brazenly followed him into the catacombs. He never caught the spy, and had instead accidentally stumbled into a nest of Arathim. Though he'd managed to fight his way out without sustaining any significant injuries, the battle had exhausted him. Upon his return to the Castle, he was given, not a fresh supply of essence as he had hoped for, but a pile of bad news. First, the Drenchen prisoner had escaped (skekSo strongly suspected the spy had something to do with it), and now there was this debacle with the All-Maudra.

No Rian. No prisoner. No volunteers. No essence. Just bad news and pitiful excuses.

"For the love of the Crystal, _why_?!" he bemoaned. "Why am I surrounded by imbeciles and incompetents? Is there no one in this forsaken world capable of being even _remotely_ useful?!"

"My Lords?"

All eyes turned to a single Gelfling guard who had entered the throne room unnoticed.

Annoyed, skekSo snarled, "What do you want?!"

"I beg your forgiveness, Emperor, but-"

"Oh, _you_ want to beg my forgiveness, _too_? Is that the theme of the day, now?" The Emperor rolled his eyes. "Does anyone _else_ want to beg my forgiveness? _Anyone_?"

"My Lord, I-"

"The Emperor has no time for your petty problems, Gelfling!" barked the General. "Leave us!"

"But, my Lords, I've come to report..." The Gelfling paused. "Treason."

Gasps broke out among the Skeksis. The Emperor raised his hand for silence. He leaned forward.

"Did you just say '_treason_'?"

The guard nodded. "Yes, Emperor. At this very moment, traitors in the Castle conspire against you."

"Really?" The Emperor beckoned to him. "Come closer, Gelfling. Tell me _everything_ you know."

* * *

After the guard had finished giving his report, the Emperor leaned back in his throne, smiling. "Thank you for informing us of this... troubling development. Not to worry. We will deal with the situation appropriately."

"Yes, Emperor," said the guard, bowing. "If I may add one thing: Many in the Guard are good Gelfling. They have simply been... bewitched. Misled by the twisted lies of a few true traitors. I ask that, if possible, the Lords show mercy."

The Emperor nodded. "We will endeavor to do so. In the meantime, I suggest you lay low until this unfortunate business has been settled. If your fellow guards learn that you've told us of their plot, well... I shudder to imagine what they'd do to you."

"Thank you, my Lords." The guard bowed again. He then turned to leave the room.

The moment the Gelfling had left, everyone began shouting.

"The Guard!" screeched the Ornamentalist. "The Guard plans to overthrow us!"

_"Calamity!" _howled the Gourmand.

"This can't be happening!" shrieked the Scroll-Keeper.

The Collector wailed in despair. Snot oozed from her pustules.

"This is all your fault!" the Ritual Master yelled at the General.

"Step a little closer and say that again!" snarled the General, flexing his claws.

"_QUIET_!" the Emperor roared. He slammed his scepter into the floor. "Are you all so pathetic that you're going to let a handful of Gelfling frighten you?! Are you Lords of the Crystal, or not?! This revolt is a _trivial_ matter. We will _annihilate_ these disobedient vermin, just as we have done to _anyone_ who has dared to challenge us!"

"But Emperor," the Ritual Master protested, "nearly every guard has turned against us! We are severely outnumbered!"

"That matters not! A _million_ Gelfling could not defeat us!" skekSo declared. He sprang to his feet, more animated now than he'd been since his return from the catacombs. "We are the Skeksis! Masters of the Crystal! We took this world, and no one will take it from us! _No one!_ We are forever!"

"Yes!" the General agreed. "Forever!"

The Emperor thrust his arms toward the ceiling. "Skeksis Eternal!"

The General nodded. "Skeksis Eternal!" he repeated.

"Skeksis Eternal!" the Emperor bellowed, louder this time. "All of you! Say it with me! _Skeksis Eternal_!"

"Skeksis Eternal!" every Skeksis in the room chanted. _"Skeksis Eternal!"_

Satisfied, the Emperor lowered his arms.

"Now then, to business. Someone fetch the Podlings."

* * *

"So, do you understand what you must do?" the Emperor asked, a short while later.

The Podlings he'd been addressing nodded nervously.

"Speak not a _word_ of this to the Gelfling. Is that clear?"

The trembling Podlings nodded again.

"Good. Off you go then."

The Podlings didn't need any further encouragement. They scampered out of the throne room as fast as their tiny legs would carry them.

"What are we all standing around for?" said the Emperor, turning to the other Skeksis. "Let us make preparations for our guests tonight."

"Follow me!" skekVar ordered. "Hurry up, all of you!"

As the General led the others out of the throne room, the Scientist entered and approached the Emperor.

He bowed. "You sent for me, sire?"

"The guards have turned on us. They are planning to seize the Castle tonight," the Emperor stated matter-of-factly. "We're going to crush them."

If the Scientist was surprised by this news, he didn't show it. "I see. And how may I be of assistance in this matter?"

"Get your machine ready. You're going to be making essence soon. And _lots_ of it."

skekTek smiled and bowed again. "As you command, Emperor." He turned and trotted out of the throne room.

Now alone, skekSo returned to his throne and sat down, with nothing but his thoughts for company. He raised his scepter to eye level and stared closely at it. The tiny crystal at the center of the scepter's claw-like head emitted a purple flash.

_Not much_, he thought. _But it should be enough to conduct a simple test._

Lowering the scepter, he leaned back and began humming a little rhyme.

_"Will you walk into my parlor? said the Spitter to the Fly; 'Tis the prettiest little parlor that you ever did spy..." _

* * *

**To be continued...**


	3. The Fall

**Chapter 3 - The Fall **

* * *

"How much longer are we going to wait?" Malik asked impatiently.

"You heard what Gamin said," Isa replied sternly. "We wait for the Podlings to bring out the Ulcola beetles."

Malik sighed. How long had it been? He and Isa had been standing outside the kitchens for what felt like an eternity, watching the Podlings roll cart after cart of food out of the kitchens and down the hall (occasionally, the Podlings would return with a cart full of dirty dishes). He felt that if the stakes hadn't been so great, he'd have probably dozed off by now.

Just as he began to rest his head against the side of his pike, he heard Isa hiss, "_Someone's coming!_"

Malik's ears perked up. He could hear approaching footsteps coming from just around the corner. They sounded too heavy to be those of a Podling. Malik hastily straightened himself out and assumed his formal guard position. He prayed his racing heart would not betray him, should a Skeksis appear.

To both his and Isa's immense relief, it was not a Skeksis, but another Gelfling.

"Tolyn!" Malik exhaled. "Thank Thra, it's just you."

Tolyn raised an eyebrow. "Who were you expecting?"

"Well, I..." Feeling a little embarrassed, Malik shook his head. "Never mind."

"What are you doing here, Tolyn?" Isa asked. "Aren't you supposed to be patrolling - I mean, _pretending_ to be patrolling the corridors?"

"Gamin wants me to check on the Watch," Tolyn replied in his usual matter-of-fact manner.

"Oh, I see. You want one of us to come with you?" asked Malik, hoping for an excuse to get away from the kitchens.

"That will _not_ be necessary," Tolyn said curtly. He turned and strode off without another word.

Grumbling, Malik was about to go back to resting his head against his pike, when Isa shook his shoulder.

She pointed. "_Look._"

Malik looked to where she was pointing and saw the Podlings rolling out a cart full of live Ulcola beetles. His heart thumped against his chest.

"This is really happening," he murmured. "We're really doing this..."

"You round up the guards in the corridors," Isa ordered. "I'll get Gamin and the others in the armory. We'll meet outside the throne room, just like we planned."

Malik nodded. "Good luck."

"You too."

* * *

A short while later, Gamin and Isa, along with their Paladin friend Arric, led more than two heavily armed dozen guards out of the armory. As planned, they met up with Malik and his group just outside the main corridor leading into the throne room.

Gamin looked at the dozen or so Gelfling accompanying Malik. He suddenly realized someone was missing.

"Where's Tolyn?" he asked.

Malik shrugged. "Probably still with the Watch."

Gamin frowned in confusion. "What's he doing with the Watch?"

"I thought you told him to check on them," Malik replied, equally confused. "That's what he told me and Isa, anyway."

"But I never told Tolyn to check on the Watch. Why would he..." Gamin trailed off, realization dawning upon him. He sighed and shook his head. "I guess he didn't have the heart to go through with this."

"_What_?" Isa exclaimed furiously. "He backed out? _Now_?"

"Can't say I blame him," Gamin said ruefully. "Let's just be thankful he's the _only_ one."

Malik scowled. "I don't _believe_ this. That little Crawlie actually _lied_ to us-"

Gamin cut him off. "Never mind him. The rest of us are still here. We know what we have to do."

"We're with you, Gamin," Isa encouraged. "Just give the word."

Arric unsheathed his sword. "For the All-Maudra," he intoned.

Gamin readied his pike and motioned for the others to do the same. "On my command. Ready?"

Everyone nodded and gripped their weapons tightly.

"_Now_!"

Weapons at the ready, the Gelfling stormed down the corridor and burst into the throne room-

-and found it completely empty.

Malik's jaw dropped. "Uhhh..."

Dumbfounded, Gamin lowered his pike and stared around the room. It took a few moments for his mind to snap back to reality.

"Move up," he ordered. "Everyone, keep your eyes open. And stay together."

The Gelfling slowly trickled into the throne room, glancing around apprehensively. It soon became apparent that not only were there no Skeksis present, but there didn't appear to be any signs of a feast whatsoever. No food. No drinks. No dishes. Not even tables or chairs. Even the Podling musicians were conspicuously absent.

As Gamin and his comrades proceeded further into the throne room, they became aware of a large pile at the center of the chamber. Upon closer inspection, they discovered dozens of empty animal cages haphazardly stacked on top of each other.

"What do you suppose _those_ are for?" asked Arric, pointing at the cages.

Isa shuddered. "I don't know. But I don't like this. Not one bit. We should pull back and regroup."

Gamin shook his head. "No. We stick with the plan."

"But the Skeksis aren't here," one of the guards protested.

"Where _are_ they?" another asked anxiously.

"Maybe they've all retired to their bed chambers for the night," Malik suggested, rather halfheartedly. "Maybe they finished the feast early."

Isa shook her head. "I don't think they feasted here at all tonight."

"But we saw the Podlings bring out food. We saw the Ulcola beetles."

"I know, I know, but look around you, Malik. There's _nothing_ here."

"Well, maybe they had the food sent directly to their chambers. Maybe they decided to eat separately tonight."

"Or _maybe_ we just wanted to see the looks on your faces," a sneering voice interjected.

Malik yelped. Arric jumped. Isa gasped.

Gamin's heart sank. _Oh no..._

The Emperor emerged from a hidden side entrance. He held an enormous, curved sword in one hand. "Ah, our guests of honor have finally arrived," he announced, grinning through his jagged teeth. "Come on out, everyone!"

Gamin watched, mortified, as the General, the Ritual Master, the Scroll-Keeper, the Ornamentalist, the Gourmand, and the Collector emerged from more hidden entrances around the throne room. Like the Emperor, they each carried an enormous sword. The Skeksis cackled and grinned as they took up position alongside skekSo.

"Welcome, Guard of the Castle!" the Emperor greeted. "We've planned this little celebration in honor of your many trine of service. Which, incidentally, we will no longer be needing."

"Consider this your retirement party," the General mocked. "Your _permanent_ retirement."

The Skeksis burst out laughing.

"It's a trap!" Arric gasped.

"They-they were waiting for us!" a horrified Isa exclaimed.

"Oh, how _observant_ of you," jeered the Scroll-Keeper.

"But-but... _how_?" Malik stammered. "The Podlings... The beetles... We saw them..."

"Ah yes, _that_..." The Emperor smirked. "I suppose when you saw the Podlings bring out the Ulcola beetles, you assumed that we'd stuffed ourselves full of food and wouldn't be able to fight." He shook his head. "Tsk-tsk. Never make assumptions. Especially if you're planning treason."

Despite his entire plan going down in flames right before his eyes, Gamin refused to back down.

"Stand fast!" he ordered his fellow Gelfling. "Remember what I said: Stay together."

Drawing strength from their leader's resolve, the Gelfling closed ranks around him and formed a phalanx. They leveled their spears at the Skeksis.

The Emperor scoffed, unimpressed. "Amusing. They still think they can win. I almost feel sorry for these hapless traitors."

"The only traitors here are you and your Skeksis!" Gamin retorted. "We know what you did to Mira, the Captain, and the All-Maudra. And we know what you're planning to do to other Gelfling."

"Do you? And you think you can stop us?" the Emperor asked incredulously.

"We _are_ stopping you!" Isa declared boldly. "Every Gelfling in this Castle now stands against you!"

"Really? _Every_ one of them?" The Emperor shook his head again. "Oh dear... _More_ assumptions."

The Skeksis started laughing again, harder this time.

The Ornamentalist snickered. "Poor fools."

"If only they knew," cackled the Gourmand.

Gamin's external display of resolve didn't waver, but in the back of his mind, alarm bells rang.

_We've been sold out. But by who? Who would have- Wait... No! Tolyn? It couldn't be..._

Before Gamin could fully process this realization, the Emperor reached into his robes and pulled out a vial containing some sort of glowing, milky-white liquid.

"Would any of you care for a drink?" he asked, holding the vial out in front of him. "It has the most _exquisite_ flavor."

The bewildered Gelfling stared at the vial.

"What... is _that_?" asked Isa.

Arric's voice trembled. "I-I've seen that before. In Rian's memories. That-that's essence! _Gelfling_ essence!" Aghast, he pointed his sword at the Emperor. "Whose essence is that?!"

The Emperor shrugged. "Truthfully, I don't know. We didn't ask for their names when we drained them."

"_Drain_? Who did you drain?!" Malik shouted furiously.

"What have you done?!" demanded Isa. "Tell us!"

"The other guards," giggled the Collector. "The ones you put on Watch, thinking that would fool us."

The Ritual Master guffawed. "_As if_! While you simpletons were watching the Podlings, we were draining your comrades."

The Gourmand gave a loud belch. "They were _delicious_."

Gasps of horror broke out among the Gelfling.

"_NO_!" screamed Malik.

"_Murderers_!" shrieked Isa.

"Don't worry, sweet thing," said the Ornamentalist, leering at her. "You'll be joining them shortly."

Even as the Gelfling around him screamed, cried, and swore vengeance, Gamin stood completely silent, his mind reeling with shock and grief.

Keeg, Ong, Dinn, Steren, Fina, and Fier - the Gelfling from his section. _His_ soldiers. He had put them on the Watch, believing that they would have the best chance of escaping with their lives if anything went wrong tonight. Instead he had sent them to their doom.

Smirking, skekSo put the vial back in his robes. "They were just the _appetizers. _Now it's time for _the main course_!"

The General stepped forward and brandished his sword. "Lords of the Crystal!" he bellowed. "Crush these traitors, in the name of the Emperor! Skeksis Eternal!"

"_Skeksis Eternal_!" the other Skeksis cried, raising their swords.

With a blood-curdling roar, the General charged.

The deaths of his comrades suddenly forgotten, Gamin snapped into action. "_Hold_!" he ordered. "No retreat!"

The Gelfling held their ground, but the General did not stop. He swung his massive sword, slicing the tips off of the nearest half dozen spears in a single stroke. He started forcing his way through the phalanx, almost absentmindedly knocking aside three of the guards whose spears he had just rendered useless. The other three dropped their broken spears and drew their swords. Moving in unison, they attempted to drive the General back. skekVar bared his fangs and swung his blade again, cutting down two Gelfling on the spot. He then grabbed the remaining guard by the neck and savagely threw the unlucky Gelfling across the room. Having broken through the first line, skekVar began chopping away at the second line of spears, laughing gleefully as he did.

"Take this!" Malik yelled. He thrust his pike at the General, maneuvering it past skekVar's blade. The spear struck his foe squarely in the chest, but did little more than dent skekVar's thick body armor. The General snarled, grabbed the spear by the tip, and shoved it back. The force of the push sent Malik stumbling backwards. He tripped on his cape and fell to the floor. At the same time, the other Skeksis slammed into the weakened phalanx like a tidal wave crashing down upon a sand castle.

The throne room descended into utter chaos. Overwhelmed and overrun, Gelfling scattered in every direction. Gamin shouted for everyone to regroup, but to no avail. The Skeksis seemed to be everywhere, hacking, slashing and laughing. The General waded through the melee, slicing down every Gelfling he came across. The Gourmand lumbered around, not even bothering to use his sword, opting instead to simply knock everyone down with his bulk. Some of the Gelfling, Gamin, Arric, and Isa among them, stood and fought valiantly. Others, however, panicked and ran around aimlessly in terror and confusion.

Amidst the pandemonium, Malik almost didn't see the Ritual Master bearing down upon him. He rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the Ritual Master's blade. He then sprang to his feet and unsheathed his sword. The Ritual Master cursed and swung his weapon again. Malik blocked the attack, managing to stay on his feet despite the force of the blow. Before the Ritual Master could attack again, Malik countered with a series of rapid strikes and feints, forcing skekZok into a defensive posture.

Meanwhile, Isa battled the Ornamentalist on the stairs leading up to the musicians' booth. Having discarded her cape and helmet and unfurled her wings, she hovered in front of him, weaving in and out, skillfully dodging or blocking every one of her opponent's attacks. When skekEkt paused to catch his breath, she counterattacked, aiming for his vulnerable sword wrist. Her blade narrowly missed its target and slashed through the sleeve of his silk shirt instead.

The Ornamentalist shrieked as though the blade had pierced his flesh. "You little insect!" he howled. "Do you have any idea how expensive this is?!" With an almost hysterical scream, he started swinging his sword wildly, not caring for who or what he hit. His attacks, once slow and fairly predictable, became a frenzied blur of steel and rage.

Caught off-guard by the Ornamentalist's murderous tantrum, Isa still managed to dodge seven successive strikes. Then came the eighth; she moved a quarter-second too late. The giant blade slashed into her right wing. Isa cried out in pain and plummeted like a rock. She tumbled down the stairs and landed in a pile at the bottom. Before she could get up, the Scroll-Keeper grabbed her by the hair and started dragging her away.

"Let go of me!" she demanded.

"_Ah, ah, ah._ You didn't say the magic word," the Scroll-Keeper taunted.

Hearing Isa's cries of distress, Malik broke off his fight with the Ritual Master and started rushing to her aid.

"Isa!" he shouted. "I'm coming-"

A clawed hand seized his elbow from behind and yanked him off the floor. Malik's sword fell from his grip and he found himself face-to-face with the Ritual Master.

"You _dare_ abandon our fight? You'll suffer now, infidel!" The Ritual Master dropped his sword and dug his talons into the right side of the Gelfling's face.

Malik screamed as the claws crushed the socket of his right eye.

"That's right, traitor," the Ritual Master hissed. "_Scream_."

Agony exploded in Malik's brain. His vision went red. He felt blood flow from his perforated eye socket and down his face. His ears rang with the sounds of his own screams and his attacker's cruel laughter. Convinced he was about to go insane, the Gelfling began praying for a swift death.

Suddenly, Gamin and Arric tackled the Ritual Master from behind, slamming themselves into the back of his legs. The combined force of both Gelfling knocked skekZok off-balance. He stumbled forward and his feet became tangled in his own robes. The Ritual Master gave a high-pitched shriek as he comically tripped and fell beak-first into the ground.

Malik flew out of skekZok's hand and rolled across the floor. He wound up lying flat on his back, staring vacantly at the ceiling. He blinked twice with his functioning eye, then abruptly fainted from the pain.

Leaving the Ritual Master in a groaning, semi-conscious heap, Gamin and Arric hurried over to where Malik lay.

"Malik!" Gamin shook the fallen Gelfling. "Malik, talk to me!"

Arric grimaced. "Is he dead?"

Gamin checked his pulse. "No," he replied. "But we've got to get him out of here. Before he loses more than his eye."

"Leaving so soon?"

Gamin and Arric looked up and saw the Emperor and the Gourmand approaching. Gamin jumped to his feet, his sword ready. Arric did likewise.

The Gourmand gave a throaty cackle and started to move forward. The Emperor, however, thrust an arm out in front of him. "Aid the Ritual Master," he ordered. "I will deal with these two rodents myself."

Disappointed, the Gourmand grumbled but nevertheless nodded obediently. "Yes, sire." He waddled off to help the fallen Ritual Master.

The Emperor turned his attention back to the two Gelfling. His sword in one hand, his scepter in the other, he grinned in anticipation. "So then, shall we?"

"For Thra!" Gamin cried. He and Arric charged the Emperor together.

skekSo was ready for them. He deflected Arric's blade with his sword, while simultaneously blocking Gamin's weapon with his scepter. He then pushed Gamin back and kicked Arric away. Gamin recovered first and charged again, thrusting his sword at the Skeksis leader. The Emperor used his heavier sword to parry the attack and then pin Gamin's blade to the floor. He then raised his scepter and swung it down towards Gamin's head.

With no weapon to block the attack, Gamin reached out with his free hand and grabbed the scepter's claw-shaped head before it could strike his face. He wrapped his fist tightly around the claw, refusing to let go. For a moment, he and the Emperor found themselves locked in place, neither willing to give the other an inch.

Suddenly, an ominous purple light flared from the scepter's head. Gamin felt a surge of energy flow from the scepter and into his hand. Instinctively, he let go of the scepter and recoiled, dropping his sword in the process. To his surprise, the Emperor dropped his own sword and retreated a few steps. Seemingly no longer interested in the battle raging around them, skekSo began studiously examining his scepter instead.

Before Gamin could make sense of what had just happened, he felt a throbbing pain in the hand that had touched the scepter. He stared down at the palm of his hand, the veins of which now glowed with the same sickly purple light as the scepter's head. Like living tendrils, the purple veins spread to the other side of his hand, then to his wrist and down his arm. The pain in his hand turned into a terrible, blistering agony that erupted all over his body. He felt as though something was devouring him from within. His limbs stopped working and he fell to his knees. A moment later, he slumped to the floor, unable to move, talk, or even think.

"Gamin!" Arric rushed to his side. He stared in revulsion at the purple veins spreading across Gamin's entire body. "What is this? What did you do to him?!" he shouted at the Emperor.

The Emperor ignored the Paladin and continued to examine the scepter. "_Yes..._" he growled triumphantly. "I _knew_ it... It _can_ be wielded!"

Incensed, Arric raised his sword, prepared to strike, but before he could make his move, he heard an all-too familiar voice.

"_Freckles_! Nice to see you again!"

Arric's heart skipped a beat. The focus of his anger shifted. Slowly, he turned to face the one Skeksis he hated more than the Emperor.

"_Monster_!" he screamed as he charged forth, determined to drive his sword into the black heart of the All-Maudra's killer.

The General laughed and brought his own sword to bear. "So glad you decided to come to the Castle after all, Freckles," he taunted. His weapon clashed violently with Arric's. "You saved me the trouble of having to hunt you down."

"I had to tell the Guard the truth!" Arric yelled defiantly, even as he staggered back from the force of the General's blow. "I had to show them what kind of monsters you really are!"

"Is that it? You're not here to avenge your precious All-Maudra?" the General sneered. "Do you wish to know how she died, Gelfling? How she spent her last moments whimpering in terror and agony?"

"All I want to know is how _you'll_ die!" Arric snarled, lunging at the General.

He slashed and stabbed at his foe with a fury he never knew he possessed. He attacked again and again, never letting up. Yet all his righteous anger could not compensate for the uneven battle. The General effortlessly blocked every attack, allowing Arric to tire himself. When the exhausted Paladin finally paused, the General struck back with a blow so powerful, it knocked Arric's sword clean out of his hand. The General then delivered a vicious kick to the Paladin's chest, sending him flying across the room. He crashed into the pile of cages and gracelessly slid down, landing in a dazed heap on the floor.

Before he could even try to get up, the Collector seized him by his shirt and stuffed him into one of the cages. "Hope it's comfy in there, Gelfling," skekLach chuckled before slamming the cage's door shut.

"_No_!" Arric shook the bars of his tiny prison in vain. "No! Let me out of here!"

"Arric..."

Arric looked over his shoulder and saw Isa, trapped in another cage just a few feet away. The once fiery Drenchen girl now looked completely defeated. Tears streamed down her bruised face. Behind her, Arric saw at least a dozen other Gelfling trapped in cages.

Unable to think of anything to say or do, Arric just hung his head in shame.

_Forgive me, All-Maudra. I failed you._

Meanwhile, Malik had finally regained consciousness, and with tremendous effort, had gotten back on his feet. Despite the loss of one eye, he saw well enough to make his way to Gamin's side. "Gamin..." He knelt over the body of his fallen leader. "Gamin!"

"Malik..." Gamin was still alive - but barely. Hideous purple lesions now covered his face. His eyes had turned purple as well.

"It's over..." he managed to utter. "Run."

Malik shook his head. "No! NO! We'll keep fighting! We _must_!"

"Too late. Save yourself... Please... Go... Run."

He let out a ghastly rasp. His eyes turned from purple to pale white. And then he was gone.

Malik blinked his remaining eye, fighting back tears. He gently closed Gamin's vacant eyes.

"May you return to Thra, brother," he whispered.

He looked up and stared around the throne room. Most of the guards were dead, imprisoned in cages, or had already fled. The few that remained in the fight had been backed into a corner, while the Skeksis taunted and toyed with them.

Malik knew he had no choice. He wiped the blood from his face, then stood up and ran.

* * *

** _To be concluded..._ **


	4. Tavra

**Chapter 4 - Tavra**

* * *

_"HSSSSSSSS!"_

"I said, _get back_!" yelled Tavra.

She swiped her sword at the giant Arathim spitter, striking its nearest leg. Angered but unharmed, the spitter hissed and swiped back at the Gelfling princess. She ducked underneath its massive claw and swung her sword again, this time at the Arathim's head. Her blade sliced into her foe's left mandible and tore a small piece off. The enraged Arathim snarled and spat a glob of webbing at her. She dodged out of the way and thrust her sword into the spitter's face, skewering one of its eyes. The creature let out an ear-splitting shriek of agony.

Tavra withdrew her blade and retreated a few feet. She kept her sword up, but made no move to strike again. Instead, she stood and watched her wounded enemy writhe and flail in pain. Eventually, the spitter stopped thrashing about. It hissed at her one last time, then turned and scuttled away.

Tavra exhaled loudly as she watched the defeated Arathim scurry down a tunnel and out of sight. _Hopefully, I won't be seeing him again anytime soon,_ she thought, feeling more relieved than triumphant. She wiped the spitter's blood off her sword as best she could, then sheathed it. She then retrieved her helmet, which she'd lost during the fight with the spitter. Upon inspection, she discovered it was too badly damaged to do anything other than slow her down.

She tossed the helmet away and let out a long, weary sigh. How long had she been in these wretched catacombs anyway? Hours? Days? She'd lost track of time, having been forced first into a game of hide-and-seek with the Emperor, then into an arduous fight with the Arathim.

A sudden, sharp pain on her left wing interrupted her thoughts. Groaning, she unfurled her wing and saw that it had been torn - most likely during her battle with the Arathim. She grimaced. In her current state, she'd only be capable of short bursts of flight.

_Looks like I won't be flying back to Ha'rar anytime soon._

Folding her wing back into place, Tavra began heading back the way she'd came - or at least the way she _thought_ she'd came. Between trying to avoid the Emperor and fighting off the Arathim, she hadn't exactly paid much attention to any landmarks that might have helped her find her way back. Luckily, she soon spotted a familiar purple glow coming from somewhere up ahead. She made her way towards the light and, sure enough, found herself back at the spot where she'd witnessed the Emperor doing... _something_.

Her need for answers overrode her caution, and she stopped to gaze at the fissure she'd seen the Emperor standing over. Eerie purple light continued bleeding from it. Tavra shuddered, suddenly more apprehensive now than when she'd been battling the spitter. Though she placed as much distance as possible between herself and the noxious purple vapor, she could still feel its power washing over her. She couldn't think of a way to describe the feeling, other than that it just felt _wrong_.

She knew this energy was responsible for the mysterious blight plaguing Thra. But what had the Emperor been _doing_ with it? She recalled how he'd used his scepter to gather some of the energy. But _why_? Had the Skeksis been secretly poisoning the lands with the blight this whole time?

Eventually, Tavra concluded there were no more answers to be found down here. Not wanting to spend any more time in this dreadful place, she quickly exited out of the chamber and stepped into the tunnel she'd originally followed the Emperor through. Now back in more familiar territory, she swiftly made her way through the underground passage, eventually reaching the passageway linking the catacombs to the Castle. She didn't stop moving until she was finally back inside the Castle itself.

After allowing herself a few moments to breathe, Tavra began plotting her next course of action. She was out of the catacombs, but not out of danger yet. She had to get out of the Castle and back to Ha'rar to inform her mother of what she had learned. With flying not a viable option, she decided she would have to "borrow" one of the Castle Guard's Landstriders.

She started heading for the Landstrider pens, when her ears suddenly perked up. She froze. She could hear a commotion coming from somewhere behind her. It sounded like _screaming_.

Against her better judgment, she turned and ran down the corridor, away from the Landstrider pens, and towards the source of the commotion. Upon reaching the end of the hallway, she cautiously peered around the corner. What she saw made her heart skip a beat. Just a few feet away, an unarmed Gelfling guard struggled desperately against a Skeksis.

"No! No! Let go of me!" the guard yelled.

"Stop struggling, you little rodent!" the Skeksis growled. "Or I'll gouge out your good eye and make you eat it!"

Horrified by what she was witnessing, Tavra pulled herself back behind the corner. Her mind churned as she weighed her options. Part of her (which, for reasons unknown, spoke to her in Brea's voice) wanted to aid the guard. The other part (which sounded a lot like Seladon) wanted to turn around and get out now, before the Skeksis captured her as well.

_No..._ she thought to herself. _I can't do _nothing_. Doing nothing is exactly what the Skeksis _want_ us to do. _

Looking around for something - anything - she noticed one of the Castle's numerous crystalline lanterns hanging right above her head. She pulled the lantern down from the wall and carefully pried the translucent shell off, revealing the power source underneath. With the pyrophoric material now exposed to the air, the power source began to spark and sizzle.

Holding the dangerously-unstable power source in one hand, she took a deep breath and then, without any further hesitation, stepped out from around the corner.

"You there! Skeksis!" she shouted.

Caught off-guard, the Skeksis released the Gelfling and turned to look at her. "Who the-?!"

"I demand you leave that Gelfling alone!"

"What?!" the Skeksis sputtered indignantly. "How _dare_ you make demands of me?! I'm the Ornamentalist! I am a Lord of the Crystal!"

"You're no Lord of the Crystal," Tavra retorted. "You're a _Thief_ of the Crystal!"

"Why, you impudent little-"

He didn't get any further before Tavra flung her makeshift incendiary bomb at him. The power source shattered on impact, spraying sparks all over the Ornamentalist. The front of his robes burst into flames.

"_AAAAAHHH!_ My beautiful coat!" the Ornamentalist wailed. In a full blown panic, he ran off, his clothes ablaze, leaving his prisoner unattended.

Not sparing a second to savor her victory, Tavra hurried over to the guard's side.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

The dazed guard looked up at her. His right eye was swollen shut, and his face was covered in bruises and dried blood.

"Princess Tavra?" he uttered, blinking at her with his left eye.

She nodded. "Yes. And you are?"

"Me? Oh, uh, I'm Malik."

"How badly are you hurt, Malik?"

"I can only see with one eye, but the rest of me is still working. I think, anyway." He continued staring up at her in awe. "I-I can't believe you're actually alive-"

"Never mind that. Get back on your feet," Tavra ordered. "Let's find a Landstrider and get you out of here."

She helped Malik to his feet and the two hurried around the corner.

"What's happening here, Malik?" she asked, stopping halfway down the corridor. "Why was that Skeksis attacking you?"

Malik's expression turned grave. "The Guard learned what the Skeksis have been doing to Gelfling. We tried to fight back. To take the Castle, but..." His voice quivered. "But they were waiting for us... Ambushed us. Most of us were killed or captured. The rest of us are being hunted down like animals." He paused, seeming to struggle with what he had to say next. "Princess... there's something you need to know-"

Suddenly, they heard voices from around the corner behind them.

_"Where is that one-eyed traitor?"_

_"He must be with the wench who set skekEkt on fire."_

_"They can't have gotten far. Come on!"_

Tavra unsheathed her sword. "Get going, Malik. I'll hold them off."

Malik balked. "You can't fight them all! You should fly us both out of here."

She shook her head. "My wing is hurt. I can't fly. But I can still fight."

"_No_!" Malik protested. "They'll kill you! Or they'll capture you and drain your essence."

"They might," Tavra replied stoically. "But someone has to tell our people what happened here. Otherwise, your fellow guards will have died for nothing."

"You can't do this, Princess!" argued Malik. "You can't sacrifice yourself! Not _now. _Not when your mother-"

Tavra cut him off. "My mother will find your memories much more valuable than any of mine. Now go!"

"But your mother is-"

_"GO!"_

Malik opened his mouth to protest some more, but stopped. He sighed in resignation and nodded. "Good luck, Princess."

She nodded back. "Good luck to you, too, Malik. Thra willing, we may yet see each other again in this life."

Malik took one final look at her, then turned and ran down the rest of the corridor and out of sight.

Tavra held her blade tight and readied herself. She tried to ignore the instinctual fear that came over her as no fewer than three Skeksis emerged from around the corner. She recognized two of them as the Scroll-Keeper and the Collector. Both carried enormous swords, more than capable of cleaving her in half with a single stroke. Oddly enough, the third Skeksis, the one furthest from her, carried no weapon.

"Oh, look who it is, skekLach!" the Scroll-Keeper chortled. "One of the princesses!"

"Which one?" asked the Collector. "The chatty one we almost ran over?"

The Scroll-Keeper scratched his beak. "No, I don't think so..."

"I'm the one who's going to be your worst nightmare," Tavra declared, brandishing her sword. She let out a Vapran battle cry and dashed towards the Skeksis.

"Bah! I'll take care of this!" The Collector lumbered forth and swung her sword. Tavra ducked the blade, and then, using her wings, lifted herself off the ground. Despite the damage to her left wing, she could still make herself airborne for a few seconds. She somersaulted over skekLach's head and gracefully landed on the other side.

"What the-?" The Collector turned around and swung her weapon at Tavra again. With a quick flap of her wings, the Gelfling propelled herself off the floor, dodging the attack.

Using her wings like an extra set of legs, Tavra jumped in circles around the Collector, staying just out her opponent's reach, all while doing her best to ignore the pain from her injured wing. She was one of only a handful of Vapran warriors trained in this style of fighting - "wing-hopping" as it was called. She was also one of the few who truly excelled at it.

The Collector grew increasingly annoyed. "Hold still, you little flying pest!" she spat. She took another swing at the princess, but missed and nearly hit the Scroll-Keeper instead.

"Careful, you idiot!" the Scroll-Keeper berated.

The Collector scowled. "Sorry..."

Tavra laughed. "Why don't you just give up?" she taunted.

The Collector snarled a curse and lunged again - and once again, her sword fell short of its target.

Yet even as Tavra continued to wing-hop around her frustrated enemy, she knew she couldn't keep this up forever. Her instructors had explicitly warned her of the perils of this form of combat. Every hop strained her wings and sapped her body's strength. Too many hops without a break, and she might suddenly pass out from the strain. Many trine of practice and experience had enabled her to endure much longer than others would. But with her injured wing, she was in uncharted territory.

_Time to go on the offense_, she thought.

Tavra wing-hopped towards the Collector, and slashed her blade across skekLach's sword arm. skekLach howled in pain and dropped her sword. Not giving the Skeksis a chance to recover, Tavra wing-hopped again. She thrust her blade at skekLach's face, puncturing one of the pustules, causing it to burst.

"It's in my eyes! It's in my eyes!" the Collector wailed, clawing at her pus-covered face.

"You filthy, little beast!" the Scroll-Keeper shrieked. "How could you be so _cruel_?" He raised his own sword and charged at Tavra.

Turning to confront her new foe, Tavra wing-hopped and swiped her blade at the Scroll-Keeper's head. He ducked, but as she sailed over his head, she slammed her boot into the side of his beak, knocking his spectacles off.

"Oh no!" he squawked. Panic-stricken, he dropped his sword. "Where-Where are they?!"

He stumbled around blindly, searching for his glasses, but wound up colliding with the Collector instead.

"Watch where you're going, fool!" skekLach whined.

Tavra laughed again. "I can do this _all night_," she boasted.

"Ummm... Actually, no, you can't," said the third Skeksis, who had been standing back this whole time, just watching the fight.

She turned to face the Skeksis. Her blood ran cold. She recognized this Skeksis from Rian's memories. It was the Scientist - the fiend who had drained Mira.

"You've already put too much stress on that damaged wing of yours," the Scientist continued, matter-of-factly. "Your body must be dangerously overtaxed by now..."

Her grip on her blade tightened. While she'd normally hesitate to strike down an unarmed foe, she'd gladly make an exception for this piece of Nebrie excrement.

"In fact, I don't think you can do another one of those extraordinary jumps without losing consciousness..."

With a fierce cry, Tavra wing-hopped at the Scientist, determined to cut his head off. But she only made it a few feet off the ground, when she heard a wet snapping sound, followed by the feeling of intense pain along her back. Her sword fell from her grasp and landed on the floor with a clang. A second later, she unceremoniously plummeted to the ground and landed flat on her belly. Her energy depleted, she barely had the strength to look up and see a clawed hand reaching down for her.

Then all went black.

* * *

For an indeterminate period of time, Tavra slipped in and out of consciousness. One of the Skeksis dragged her down the Castle's corridors, though she couldn't tell if it was the Scientist, the Scroll-Keeper, the Collector, or someone else entirely. She could hear her captors talking to each other, but she never remained lucid long enough to catch more than a few words at a time.

Eventually, her captors stopped. A moment later, she felt herself being thrown face-first against the cold floor.

"Well, well, well... Who do we have here?"

Even before looking up, she recognized the voice as that of the Emperor.

The Emperor glowered down at her. "So, you must be the one who freed the Drenchen traitor, and then followed me into the catacombs." He tapped his scepter on the floor. "You've caused me a lot of trouble, Gelfling. I'll make sure you're repaid in kind."

Despite being exhausted and in pain, she managed to give him a defiant look. "It doesn't matter what you do to me," she said hoarsely. "Soon, every Gelfling will know the truth."

The Emperor's glower turned into a sneer. "Good. Because I'm tired of playing games with you worthless primitives. Now every Gelfling will know the _true_ power of the Lords of the Crystal."

He looked up and gestured to the other Skeksis. "Lock her up with the others."

As her captors dragged her away, Tavra heard the Emperor's deranged, maniacal laughter echo through the corridors.

She then, mercifully, passed out again.

* * *

** _Finished. Have a Merry Christmas, everyone!_ **


	5. Bonus Chapter

A/N: I decided to throw in this short bonus chapter just for fun. Enjoy!

* * *

**Bonus Chapter**

* * *

The First Brother had just begun to shine its light through the darkness by the time Malik finally reached the woods. Having failed to acquire a Landstrider, he'd been forced to proceed on foot. Now at the edge of forest, he paused to catch his breath - and to process the disastrous events of the previous night. He wondered if any other Gelfling had managed to escape, or if he was the only one.

A gust of cold wind washed over his face. He reflexively moved a hand towards his crippled eye, while his other eye winced. He could still feel the Ritual Master's talons digging into his face. Malik tore a strip of fabric from his uniform and carefully wrapped it over his injured eye. It didn't ease the discomfort, but it would help prevent an infection.

Looking over his shoulder, he stared at the Castle of the Crystal. Yesterday, it had been his home. Now it was a place of death and depravity. He thought of Gamin and the other guards who had been slaughtered in the throne room. He thought of Isa, Arric, Princess Tavra, and all the others who he'd been forced to leave behind. Were any of them still alive? Or had the Skeksis already drained them of their essence?

Accepting there was nothing he could do, he turned back around and stepped inside the forest, determined to reach Stone-In-The-Wood before they suffered the same fate as the Guard.

With only one eye and poor lighting, he found it difficult to see more than a few feet in front of him. So it came as no surprise when he bumped into something.

What _did_ come as a surprise was when that something let out an angry squawk. Startled, Malik looked up. To his shock and horror, he saw the face of the Skeksis Chamberlain staring down at him.

Malik's heart dropped into his stomach. For a terrifying moment, he thought this was end for him.

The Chamberlain, however, appeared just as startled to see him. "Stupid Gelfling!" he snapped. "Watch where you're going!"

Alone and without any weapons, Malik did the only thing he could. He dropped to one knee and bowed his head. "Forgive me, my Lord Chamberlain," he said in the most servile manner possible. "I did not see you."

"_Hmmph_. That is obvious," the Chamberlain sneered. He cocked his head. "Hmmm... You are guard of Castle, yes?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"What is guard doing out here in woods? Away from Castle? Hmmmm?"

Malik tried to think of something to say. "I, uh, I-"

"Trying to desert? Join traitor Rian, perhaps? Hmmmm?"

"N-no, my Lord!"

"Then what is Gelfling doing here?" the Chamberlain demanded. "You answer! _Now_!"

Malik blurted out the first thing that came to mind: "One of the Podlings has gone missing, my Lord. We think he may have left the Castle and accidentally wandered into the woods."

He held his breath and kept his head bowed. He didn't dare look the Chamberlain in the eye.

The Chamberlain shook his head. "Podlings go missing, now? Bah! Will madness never stop?!" He scowled, "Go, Gelfling. Find Podling. Bring back to Castle. Quickly!"

"Y-yes, my Lord!" Malik stammered, scarcely able to believe his fortune.

He stood up, bowed to the Chamberlain again, then dashed off as fast as his legs could carry him. He didn't stop running until he was certain he'd put plenty of distance between himself and the Chamberlain.

Pausing to catch his breath, he leaned against a tree and panted. Despite everything that had happened, Malik couldn't help but smile to himself.

_If only I could see the look on his face when he realizes what just happened._

* * *

**Finished (for real, this time).**


End file.
